


Coffee and Capes

by ry_chu



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Coffee Shops, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Gay, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Female Character, Lesbian, Lesbian Character, Love, Love/Hate, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Fiction, Original Universe, POV Lesbian Character, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Rival Relationship, Rivalry, Rivals to Lovers, Romance, Superheroes, Trees, Useless Lesbians, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-09-06 05:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ry_chu/pseuds/ry_chu
Summary: Two rival superheroines try to protect their city, and their fellow Gifted, from a mysterious threat.





	1. Chapter 1

Aspen poured herself a cup of black coffee and downed half of it in one gulp, too tired to care about burning the inside of her mouth. She needed a caffeine boost and she needed it _now._ One of her coworkers passed by the table she was slumped over and gave her a sympathetic glance.

“Late night?”

“Hey, Sara. Much too late.” Aspen took a second, slightly smaller sip and sighed. “How long until we open?”

“‘Bout 15 minutes. I hate to say it, but you should probably get up soon.” Sara patted Aspen on the shoulder and walked behind the counter.

With a resigned groan, Aspen swallowed the rest of her coffee and pushed herself up out of her chair. She grabbed the coffeepot and followed Sara into the back of the cafe. A few more employees were readying the kitchen.  
“Hey, Aspen. Feeling any better yet?” called another coworker, Heather.

“I got like an hour of sleep, what do you think.”

“Poor thing. You really need to quit that night job of yours. I don’t care if it’s a ‘family obligation’, it’s not healthy to get so little sleep.” She looked at Aspen with concern. The woman was about 50 and acted as though she’d legally adopted Aspen.

“I get good pay.”

“If you’re working an extra job, it can’t be _that_ good.”

Aspen ignored her and headed back to the counter. She watched the clock tick down the last few minutes until 6 am, then unlocked the door and turned on the open sign and lights. She took her place behind the counter and pulled her face into the most normal, bright expression she could manage.

Half an hour later, the coffee had started to kick in and Aspen felt slightly more conscious. Amidst the soft chatter of the cafe, the entry bell on the door chimed clearly. She glanced over at the door and her heart stopped.

It couldn’t be.

A stocky young woman with short, dark red hair walked through the door and made her way up to the counter, glancing around at the decor. She looked towards the counter. Her eyes darted over Aspen, who tried desperately to hide her recognition, but after only a moment the woman’s jaw dropped.

“You-”

Aspen dashed into the back room.

“Hey, could you watch the counter for a minute? I have to, uh. Do something.” She yelled at nobody in particular. She rushed out through the back entrance and around the side of the building. To her great relief she heard the door chime again. She peered around the corner. The young woman was strolling casually towards her, a devilish grin spreading across her face. Aspen ground her heel into the dirt in frustration, feeling panic course through her. She glanced around the deserted street, then jumped around the corner and attempted to pull the woman into the small alley along the building’s side. Before she could, however, she found her wrists trapped in a strong grip.

“Damn it, just get into the alley,” she hissed, wrenching herself free. The other woman, giving her a smug smile, complied.

Aspen paced quickly up and down the alley. “What the hell are you doing here? How did you find me?!”

The short woman, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, shrugged. “I didn’t. Honest to god, I just wanted a coffee. I happened to run out of all my coffee mix at home, and this was the nearest cafe.”

“I refuse to believe the world hates me that much.” Aspen groaned. “God, why did this have to happen.”

“That’s fate, Tanglewood! Haven’t you ever heard that fortune favors the bold? And what am I if not bold?”

“A huge pain in the ass. A nuisance. Completely-”

“It was a rhetorical question, but if we’re listing things, you forgot ‘incredibly powerful, hot as hell, and basically just better th-”

“Shut up. You listen to me, Reflex.” Aspen stopped pacing and stood in front of the other woman, towering over her. “I swear, if you tell anyone-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Tanglewood. Or should I say…” Reflex glanced at the name tag on Aspen’s uniform and snorted. “Aspen? Really? A tree name? Wow.”

“I hate you.”

“I know. But seriously, why would I tell anyone?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m the same as you. I know how it is. I know what could happen if…” She sighed and looked up sharply, meeting Aspen’s glare intensely. “I don’t need to fuck up your whole life. And I don’t want to.”

Aspen averted her gaze, flushing.

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to pester you, though. Frequent your little cafe here, maybe pry into your personal life a little bit.” Reflex grinned smugly. “Get to know the _real_ you, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh, don’t you dare. You leave me alone, and when we are done with this discussion, you never, ever, ever come back here.”

“Hmm… I’ll consider it if you give me a free coffee.” Reflex gave an exaggerated yawn. “I got the same amount of sleep as you, ‘cept I still don’t have any caffeine in me. Maybe I’ll be more cooperative once I’m more awake.”

“No.”

“Guess I’ll be back same time tomorrow then. And the day after.”

“Fine, I’ll get you your damn coffee. Will you just promise to leave me alone?”

“Depends on how good the coffee is.”

“Just…. go back in.” Aspen sighed, slumping and heading back around the building.

A couple minutes later, she shoved a cup of coffee across the counter at Reflex, earning a few odd looks from other customers.

“Thank you~” Reflex sang, catching the cup with ease. “So… Aspen. How’d you come to work here?”

“I’m not making small talk with you.”

Reflex raised her eyebrows in mock offense and sipped her drink. “Excellent customer service, barista.”

“You’re not a customer.” Aspen crossed her arms. “You aren’t even buying anything.”

“Fine. Excellent basic courtesy.”

Rolling her eyes, Aspen turned and started towards the back.

“Hey, wait.” Reflex stood. Aspen looked back over her shoulder disdainfully. “Just so we’re on equal footing here.” The shorter woman extended her free hand over the counter. “I’m Diane.”

Aspen was taken aback. There had been no need for Reflex- Diane- to give her own name. She could have had a massive amount of leverage. Now, the advantage was lessened, even if she still knew where Aspen worked. Almost against her will, Aspen found herself turning back around and shaking Diane’s hand.

With a smirk, Diane released Aspen from the handshake and started towards the door the door, coffee in hand. Shaking herself out of her shock, Aspen called after Diane. “You’re going to leave me alone now, right?”

Diane paused, considering. “Mmmm… nope. This coffee’s too good to stay away.” She gave a smug wink over her shoulder and strolled out, leaving Aspen stunned and seething behind the counter.


	2. Chapter 2

Tanglewood dropped from her perch at the top of a billboard, her cape and long hair streaming smoothly behind her as she fell. She touched down silently and knelt on the rooftop as if in a runner’s stance. She paused for a moment to listen. Here in the city’s outskirts, the sound of occasional passing cars was mixed with cricket chirps. It was ordinarily peaceful, but tonight there was a tension in the air. It was too quiet, the cars too sparse. But maybe that was just her imagination.

Tanglewood tapped on her arm, and the white of her clothing shimmered for a moment before changing to the approximate color of the stone her other hand rested on. The golden accents that decorated the suit and the green gradient of her elbow-length gloves stayed the same. The suit had been a gift from an old friend who had a talent for special fabrics.

Standing, Tanglewood turned towards a taller neighboring building. Near the entrance to the alley between it and the building she stood atop was a maple tree. Not ideal, but it would have to do. It was decently tall, at least. She walked closer, stopping at the corner of the building and stretching a hand towards the tree. She could sense its structure, could almost see and feel each branch beneath the leaves. After some searching, she picked a thicker branch near the top, on the side facing the alleyway, and sort of… pulled on it. Mentally. The branch stretched in the direction she pulled it in, a little more into the alley and up onto the side of the taller building. It grew longer but thinner, mass remaining the same. She pulled several more branches alongside it, intertwining them to make up for the loss of thickness. The limbs of maples weren’t very thick to begin with, so it took a lot to make it substantial enough.

After only a few moments, a sort of thin, tapered, wooden rope grew up the wall like ivy, staying where Tanglewood had grown it. Leaves stuck out here and there, spaced out much farther than they had been. She yanked another group of branches to form a skinny walkway towards the rope, and stepped carefully onto it. The constructs she could make tended to be much firmer and more stable than they appeared, but it was still hard to trust a physics-defying bridge, woven with twigs and barely the width of her foot, not to break. If it _were_ to snap, any broken tree limbs would immediately whip back to their original positions, and that could cause serious injury on top of falling. She walked carefully across it, then gripped the rope and began to climb up the wall. She could have made a sort of elevator, which would have been easier, but with thinner-branched trees she didn’t like to risk it. It would be all too easy to stretch it far too thin with her atop it, and even with enhanced stability it would likely snap.

A minute or two later, Tanglewood pulled herself over the ledge to stand on top of the building, releasing her branch constructs to pop back into place in their tree. The large office compound was significantly taller than the surrounding structures, giving her a wide view. She perched herself on the edge of the wall and watched.

She wasn’t sure why she had chosen to patrol this area, other than a gut feeling she couldn’t explain. She supposed it was good, if she was going to be drawn to a specific area, that it was in the outskirts. There tended to be more plants to work with when the buildings were more spaced out.

As she sat, she noted the surrounding businesses she could identify, keeping an eye on any empty office buildings, jewelry stores, anything that might be a target for robbery. The most common thing she ended up dealing with was petty theft.

Thirty minutes passed without much happening, when suddenly a chill ran up Tanglewood’s spine. She turned quickly to the south, and moments later, she heard a faint scream from that direction. She broke into a dash. With a grunt of effort, she threw herself forward off of the building and hit the next rooftop running, with only a twinge of pain at the several-story drop. She had naturally enhanced strength and resilience, like most Gifted, but her boots were also engineered specifically to help with hard landings. So long as she landed on her feet, impacts would be lessened. She focused on this as she ran, forcing down her nerves. She couldn’t afford to worry about... being too late.

Stop.

She refocused. Damn it, she’d lost track of where the scream had come from. She concentrated all of her energy and focused intensely on reaching out her senses, feeling every weed and tree within a mile in each direction like an extension of herself. It was incredibly painful, but she had to expand her sensory range. She held back a cry of pain as hundreds of what felt like her own limbs all felt different sensations. The currents in the air were like torture, and the noise was overwhelming. But if she tried, she could pick out oddities.

_There!_

To the southwest, a sudden rush of air disturbed a tree’s leaves, along with the sound of fearful, hurried panting and several sets of feet hitting the ground. Tanglewood let her senses collapse back into herself, feeling an immense relief, and leaped into action. Adrenaline flooded her system. Within moments, she swooped down and landed in front of the tree that had felt the breeze, listening carefully. Footsteps, running down a side street. She rounded the alleys quickly and quietly, coming about to intercept the footsteps from the front. With a quick glance around the corner, she saw a young woman - couldn’t be older than 20 - scrambling to hide as the heavy footfalls grew louder. There were multiple sets, she could hear them now.

Tanglewood tapped her own arm, and the normal white of her suit returned. She darted around the corner and extended a hand towards the young woman, who threw herself back against the wall instinctively, terror in her eyes. Tanglewood gestured urgently, and the girl hesitantly followed her. They raced back to the wider street.

“What’s going on?” Tanglewood asked in the gentlest whisper she could produce. The girl, still trembling, stared at her. “Who is following you? I can get you somewhere safe.”

After a moment, the woman managed to whisper in a fast, panicked tone: “I don’t know what’s going on. I was walking home from work, I don’t live very far, and…” She shuddered. “There were two black cars parked in front of my apartment building, and someone got out of one when I got close. My phone was dead, I couldn’t call anyone, so I just panicked and ran, I- I didn’t know what to do, and then I saw more people come from the side, and they had- they have guns, and I don’t know what’s going on…”

“It’ll be okay. Just stick with me, I’ll keep you safe and we’ll figure out what’s happening, okay?” The girl nodded and clasped a clammy hand around Tanglewood’s gloved wrist. “What’s your name?” Tanglewood asked gently, guiding the girl towards a large tree.

“Eva.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Eva. You’re going to be okay.” With effort, Tanglewood pulled several branches to the ground in the shape of a small platform. Eva’s eyes widened, and she clung to Tanglewood’s arm. “It’s safe,” Tanglewood said as she guided the shocked girl onto it. The platform raised and Eva’s fingernails dug into Tanglewood’s skin through her sleeve. “It’s okay.”

She let the girl down onto a high rooftop. “Stay down and stay quiet. I’m going to figure out who was following you so I can make sure you’ll be safe, alright?” Eva nodded mutely as she lowered herself onto her back. She was shaking, but there was nothing else Tanglewood could do for now. Assuring her safety was paramount.

Tanglewood lowered herself back to the ground, releasing the branches slowly. The footsteps, which had faded before as they presumably searched different directions, began to approach the wide street. One hand on the tree’s trunk, Tanglewood activated her suit’s camouflage again and clambered quickly into the branches. She could have gone a step further and hidden within the tree’s trunk, but as the adrenaline rush ebbed, her head was starting to ache from her exertion of her powers. Her massive sensory bubble earlier had taken a lot more out of her than she’d realized. She would have to conserve energy. For the moment, she listened carefully to the approaching group. Judging from the footfalls, there were about four. She peered through the leaves in front of her, sitting perfectly still, and waited.

The group came into view. There were actually five, one in the back stepped lightly enough that she had missed hearing him. They wore crisp, all-black suits, and three of them carried pistols. Their faces seemed strangely distorted, she couldn’t focus on their features. They didn’t speak as they hurried down the sidewalk, glancing in all directions. A chill ran down Tanglewood’s spine as she considered the possibilities. They could be part of some criminal organization that hadn’t yet been discovered. The outskirts weren’t as frequently patrolled by the few local heroes as the bustling center of the city was, so it was possible. There was a chance they were just a handful of fools terrorizing people on their own, but the prim matching suits seemed to suggest otherwise. Wait. Maybe… no, she didn't want to think about the repercussions of that particular possibility for now. Best to focus on the task at hand. She slipped from the tree and slunk along the sidewalk, following the group at a distance. A block down, they approached two clean but nondescript black cars and climbed in.

Tanglewood glanced back towards the building she had left Eva atop. She could follow the car, but that would mean leaving a terrified and unsure young woman on her own on top of a building with no way down and no food or water for an unpredictable amount of time. She couldn’t do that. She stared at the cars, concentrating intensely and noting any detail. The license plates appeared to be covered by some sort of black lids, screwed on over top to mask the numbers. _They must uncover them most of the time unless they’re doing a job,_ Tanglewood thought. _So no identifying them from that for now._ There wasn’t much to go off of, so she just took note of the exact make and model as the cars drove away.


	3. Chapter 3

When Tanglewood got back to the top of the building, her head aching, Eva was exactly where she’d left her. Tanglewood reached out a gloved hand and helped her up. “They’ve left. Do you live on your own?”

Eva shook her head. “I- I have a roommate- Carleigh… Oh god, is she okay? Is-”

“She’s fine, they didn’t go into the building. I just want to get both of you out of there for now, alright? I’m going to bring you back home, you can explain to her, and then I want both of you to pack anything you’re going to need for a short leave.” Eva nodded. “Okay. Let’s go then.”

It took an immense effort to lower the branch platform carefully back to the ground. As Tanglewood stepped off of it after Eva, she lost her grip on it and it snapped instantly back into place, nearly whipping her leg. She sighed resignedly and tapped a spot on her side three times, activating the very basic emergency communicator installed in her suit. An array of colored squares glowed on the back of her left hand. She carefully pressed two of them. Code orange: send transport. Code cyan: house guests. Sending messages was always a risk, because they could be detected. Gifted had to limit any important long-distance communications to extremely small basic signals, such as colors, and even those were usually reserved for emergencies. Requesting transport also meant she had to send a location signal, which was heavily encoded, but still risky. If she was lucky, it would reach one of her allies without interception, and they could send a safe car to take her- and the citizens she was guarding, in this case- to one of a few safehouses scattered and hidden throughout the city. The hero network had its benefits. She deactivated her suit’s camouflage and continued after Eva.

Eva pointed. “There it is. My apartment is on the second floor. Um… are you coming in too?”

“If you'd prefer. I can help explain as well.”

“Okay.” Eva took a deep breath and led Tanglewood in. They climbed the stairs and Eva unlocked her door, hands trembling slightly. She pushed the door open and called, “Carleigh? Are you in here?”

A head jolted up from the sofa. “Oh my god, there you are, Eva! Where were you? Are you okay?” The girl jumped up, vaulting over the armrest in her haste, and rushed to the door, grabbing Eva's shoulders and looking concerned. “I was worried sick! And about ready to call the police if you didn't get home or call me back soon.”

Eva slumped with visible relief and smiled weakly. “That probably would've been… an appropriate course of action.”

Carleigh noticed Tanglewood, standing awkwardly in the hall, and gasped. “Holy shit, are you a superhero?” Tanglewood grimaced slightly but nodded. Carleigh turned back to Eva, mouth agape. “What the hell happened?”

It took about 20 minutes to fully explain the night's events. Tanglewood kept glancing anxiously at the back of her hand, waiting for a signal. Carleigh sat attentively, knees curled to her chest and hands covering her mouth, as Eva finished her story (with assistance from Tanglewood).

“God, I'm so sorry.” she whispered. “I wish I could've helped. Are you, like… _physically_ okay, though? You aren't hurt?”

Eva smiled and nodded. “Just a bit shaky.”

The back of Tanglewood’s glove suddenly glowed orange, and she let out a sigh of relief. The message had been received, they were sending transport. She stood and glanced at the girls. “You'd better start packing. I need to get you both to a safehouse for a while. Get anything you'll need for a few weeks. Don't worry about food or toilet paper or whatever, we'll be well-stocked. You'll be able to leave and go places at any time, but you should always inform someone first and keep in contact. Hopefully you won't be in danger, but it's best to take precautions.”

Carleigh nodded thoughtfully, biting her lip, and stood. “So you don't know why those guys were following her?”

Tanglewood paused and glanced at Eva. “I have… a theory, but speculation at this point could be dangerous. I'd rather not go into it.”

Carleigh pursed her lips but nodded and walked away to begin packing. Eva pushed herself to her feet and looked at Tanglewood, less shaky than she had been before. “I don't think I ever thanked you, so… thank you for saving me. What's your name?”

“You can call me Tanglewood.”

“Thank you, Tanglewood.” Eva walked down the hall after Carleigh. A hushed conversation began in the other room. Tanglewood walked away and leaned against the apartment’s front door, thinking about the black-suited group. She truly hoped they weren’t what she thought they might be. If that organization returned… she didn’t know what she would do.

Half an hour later, the girls had finished packing. Eva glanced around the apartment a final time, looking uncertain. Carleigh took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. With a long exhale, Eva turned to Tanglewood. “Are we leaving?”

“The car should get here soon,” Tanglewood said. Her glove flashed orange again. “Right on cue.” She pushed the door open and the three of them walked down to the car.

The drive to the city's center was long and quiet. Tanglewood sat in the passenger seat next to a trusted anonymous driver. Eva and Carleigh eventually fell asleep in the backseat. Their hands were still linked. Tanglewood sighed as she glanced at them in the rearview mirror. She hoped she could keep them safe. If her theory was correct, they and many others were in more danger than they could imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://fav.me/dctkv7y <\-- carleigh and eva. harold theyre lesbians


	4. Chapter 4

Aspen awoke with a migraine. She pulled herself into a sitting position and squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing the bridge of her nose. With a grunt, she stood and dragged herself to the bathroom. She swallowed down five ibuprofen at once and sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. Her long blonde hair was a mess and she had bags under her eyes. She had only slept for about an hour, but that had still been sleeping in. She'd be cutting it closer than usual for getting to work on time. Reluctantly, she picked up her hairbrush and started to get ready.

She was almost late, but arrived at the cafe right before 6. Sara, bless her, had prepped for opening in Aspen’s stead.

Heather gasped as Aspen slumped into the back. “Sweetheart, you look _awful!_ Even worse than normal. Er, healthwise. No offense.”

Aspen held up her hand in a shushing gesture, eyes squinted. “Need some food,” she mumbled. “Can't talk.” She walked past her nonplussed coworkers and made herself a quick sandwich. She hated to admit it, but coffee and ibuprofen weren't going to be a good enough breakfast today. She needed actual fuel.

6 o’clock arrived and, only a few minutes later, the bell jingled as someone walked through the door. Aspen tried desperately to look conscious. Then she realized who it was and dropped her head to the counter with a low groan.

“Hello, Aspen. Happy to see me?”

“Leave me alone.”

Reflex- Diane- raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a chair at the counter. “Wow. You look horrible.”

“So I've heard. Would you kindly fuck off?”

“Nah.” Diane sat and crossed her legs casually. “You seem like you need to talk to someone.”

“ _You?!_ Talking to you is literally exactly what I _don't_ need right now.”

Diane rested her elbows on the counter, weaving her fingers together and resting her chin atop them. “That is blatantly untrue. I make everything better.” She batted her eyelashes. Tanglewood just groaned.

“Not my headache.”

Frowning, Diane placed a finger under Aspen’s chin and turned her head from side to side. Aspen growled loudly and tried to knock the hand away, but Diane had already withdrawn it and was looking thoughtful. “Overexerted yourself, did you?” She clucked her tongue. “You always have used up too much stamina.”

Aspen was fuming. She snatched Diane by the neck of her shirt, for once taking the infuriatingly agile woman by surprise, and lifted her easily from her chair with one arm. “I will _not_ deal with your shit today, Reflex.”

“ _Quiet,_ you idiot. Put me down, you're going to get both of us caught.” Diane glanced around warily. Thankfully, no other customers had arrived yet, and the other employees were all in the back. Aspen knew that Diane was right. Chagrined, she dropped the other woman back to her chair. “There we are,” Diane said, tugging at the bottom of her shirt to fix it. “Thank you for being sensible.”

Aspen rolled her eyes and stepped back. “Are you buying anything, or can I go nurse my migraine in peace?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll get the same thing as yesterday.” Diane sighed and pulled out her wallet. “I _am_ concerned about your health, y'know. But I'd guess you already took way too many ibuprofen and expected that to fix it. I hope you ate, at least. You should've stayed home, but if you're going to be stubborn and work through a migraine, you can at least try to keep yourself from getting nauseous too.”

Tanglewood bristled and turned away to start on the coffee, cheeks burning. “You aren't my mother, R- Diane.”

Diane was silent for a moment. As if realizing her delay, she let out a somewhat forced chuckle and started a retort, but fell silent abruptly as the bell on the door rang again and a small group of customers entered. As Aspen turned back to take the money for the coffee, she realized with shock that Diane was _blushing._ What on earth could have caused that? She never got flustered. The flush was only visible for a moment, she quickly looked down and fussed with her wallet.

Aspen cleared her throat awkwardly. “That, um. That'll be $3.50.”

Diane handed her the money, still not looking at her directly. “Thanks,” she said, taking the coffee. She lowered her voice, casting a glance at the small group of customers chatting behind her while they waited to order. “Take care of yourself, Tanglewood. I’d hate if my rival died of self-inflicted exhaustion.” She wiggled her fingers and sauntered out of the cafe.

Aspen sighed and turned towards the line to take the next order.


	5. Chapter 5

At 6 pm, the alarm woke Aspen from her jumbled dreams. She switched it off and sat up slowly, taking a deep breath. She usually headed out to patrol about an hour or two after the sun had set, and it likely wouldn’t go down until around 8, so she had a while to herself.

Her small apartment was dark and quiet. She headed into the kitchen and popped a freezer meal into the microwave. As she leaned against the counter, her thoughts drifted back to the suited group. Her theory almost felt silly- the ACSSPI hadn’t been around for years. Not since the day most of their members were captured and jailed for their… inhumane experiments. Of course, the many kidnapped Gifted they had been using as lab rats had been arrested too. She scowled. It wasn’t right.

The microwave beeped. Shaking her head, she grabbed the food and sat down at the table. The business with the Agency had all happened a very long time ago, before she’d even gotten her powers. It wasn’t worth dwelling on until she had more proof.

Three hours later, Aspen was opening the hidden compartment in the back of her dresser and pulling out the duffel bag containing her gear. She kept a few sets of her hero outfit. She grabbed a suit, boots, a pair of gloves, a mask, and a cape from the bag. “I should organize this thing better,” she grumbled, stuffing the bag back into the dresser and closing the compartment.

She suited up and pressed her hand to the grey carpet, activating her camouflage. Then, after stuffing a couple energy bars into a hidden pocket on the inside of her cape’s scarflike neck, she slipped out of her window and vaulted over the fire escape’s railing. She landed on her feet in the alleyway outside her apartment.

 _Maybe I should drop by headquarters,_ she thought, taking a few steps. _See if they’ve heard about any kidnappings._ Nodding to herself, she rushed off through the city.

The underground Gifted network had to be very cautious. There were several different bases scattered around the city, each with heavy security measures. Many of them were prepared to have to pack up and move somewhere else at any time, in case they were under suspicion. Tanglewood had a few personal contacts in one of the permanent bases, so she tended to go there most of the time.

The base was towards the center of the city, underneath the main building of a small catering company they used as a front (and an extra funding source). Tanglewood trudged through the familiar entry and security measures, and rode a small elevator lift down into the HQ.

The staff was sparse, but that was to be expected. The organization was actually fairly small, and it was spread thin. Permanent bases like this one had more resources, Tanglewood knew there was an infirmary there. Smaller bases acted as outposts, receiving emergency signals and directing larger ones to send the requested services. Any base could also be used to check in, or give any important news or information.

Someone sitting in front of a large computer display that took up most of the wall glanced over at Tanglewood as the lift came to a stop. “Hey, Tanglewood. Here about those kids at the safe house?”

“Hi, Charlie. Partially.” Tanglewood walked over to her. “I wanted to know if there’ve been any kidnappings or attempted kidnappings that we know of lately.”

“Kidnappings, huh?” Charlie raised an eyebrow and turned to the screen, pushing her short brown hair behind her ear. She tapped something out on the keyboard and opened what looked like a database of sorts. “Abductions... and... kidnappings. Ooookay.” She pressed enter and looked expectantly up at the screen. “Okay, recent. Looks like we've received a couple things about missing people over the past couple weeks… there's your report from last night… Firebrand stopped the abduction of a young man three nights ago… few more… this seems like more than usual.” She shot Tanglewood a concerned glance. “That what you were expecting?”

Tanglewood nodded grimly and bit her lip. “And what I was hoping not to find. Do any of these reports mention black cars, or men in suits with distorted faces?”

Charlie, looking nervous, clicked through a few of the reports listed on screen. She looked back at Tanglewood with wide eyes. “Yes. Quite a few. You don't think…”

“I do, and god, I hope I'm wrong.” Tanglewood sighed. “Look, I don't want to start a panic on so little evidence. Could you keep this quiet for now?”

Charlie glanced between Tanglewood and the screen. “Alright. But not for long. This could be huge, Tangle. You better figure out what's going on.” She narrowed her eyes behind her cat-eye glasses. “I'll let you know if I hear anything else.”

Tanglewood nodded. “One more thing. How are those girls holding up?”

“Well, I haven't seen them myself, but Jirard checked up on them earlier and he said they seemed alright. Just a little shaken still.”

She exhaled, relieved. “That's good. Thanks, Charlie. You're a huge help.”

“Anytime. That's what I'm here for.” Charlie gave a little mock salute. “Good luck.”

Tanglewood smiled gratefully at her and headed back out.


	6. Chapter 6

From her vantage point atop an apartment building, Tanglewood watched the streets. Even here in the back streets, cars drove by fairly frequently. She squinted at them as they passed, watching for any that looked like the kidnappers’. As time passed, she grew restless. She wasn’t used to lookouts, patrols were her main tactic. She felt as though she were just wasting time sitting here, watching this one swath of a few roads, even if it was somewhat of a choke point for anyone avoiding the main streets in this part of town.

Suddenly, a police car turned the corner. It moved slowly, its lights off. Terror flooded Tanglewood. What if she’d been seen? Someone in these apartments might have noticed her and called the cops. She flattened herself even tighter against the rooftop and crawled up to a small chimney, hiding behind it. Her breathing was shallow. She listened to the faint sound of the tires rolling behind her, growing slowly closer.

 _**Thunk.**_ Tanglewood had to stifle her own scream at the sudden sound of someone landing on the roof next to her. She jerked upright.

“Fancy seeing you here-” Tanglewood grabbed at Reflex’s booted ankle and pulled her down before she could finish speaking. She fell neatly into a kneeling position, catching herself. “Wh-” Tanglewood tried to slap a hand over her rival’s mouth, but Reflex blocked it.

“ _Shut up and get down. Cops.”_ Tanglewood hissed. Reflex’s eyes widened and she sank to the roof, pressing her back to the chimney next to Tanglewood.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Tanglewood was surprised. Reflex rarely apologized- for anything. She couldn’t dwell on that, however, because her attention immediately turned to the fact that Reflex was pressed quite closely against her behind the chimney. It seemed as if she hadn’t noticed. She was peering cautiously around the edge, craning her neck in an attempt to see the approaching car over the peak of the roof.

“It’s passing us,” she breathed. Her chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. She had balled up part of her short cape in a clenched fist. Tanglewood forced herself to look away and focus on the sound of the tires rolling down the street.

It was another few minutes before Reflex’s shoulders relaxed and she glanced at Tanglewood. “They’re gone.”

Tanglewood exhaled in relief, then remembered who she was pressed against. She hurriedly got to her feet, taking a step back.

“Um. Thanks for not letting me get us both caught.” Reflex stood.

“It’s fine,” Tanglewood grumbled, fixing her eyes on the air to the left of her rival. “Just bad timing.”

An awkward silence fell between them.

“I don’t suppose you’re investigating the kidnappings?” Reflex piped up, her voice regaining some of its characteristic suaveness. “I heard you stopped one of them the other day.”

“Why do you care? And why are you here in the first place?”

She shrugged. “Just curious. I’m investigating them myself, so I thought maybe we could… collaborate. As for why I’m here, I happened to be in the area and saw you, thought I’d drop in, say hello-”

“You want to _collaborate?_ ” Tanglewood stared.

“I think there’s something big behind this, and I know you do too. You’re suspicious enough to see the signs. And if that’s true, then it’ll take more than one person to figure out what’s happening and take them down.” She folded her arms and grinned, cocking her head. “What do you say? It’d be a nice little trust-building exercise for you.”

Taken aback, Tanglewood found herself considering Reflex’s words. If the Agency really was behind the kidnappings… she couldn’t do it alone. She sighed and lifted her chin. “Fine. What have you got?”

Reflex clapped her hands together, a wide, devious smile on her face. “I’m glad you asked. This is gonna be fun.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Never thought I’d see you two willingly in the same place, not trying to kill each other.” Charlie said, raising an eyebrow as Tanglewood stepped out of the lift after Reflex.

“Yeah, neither did I.” Tanglewood muttered under her breath. Reflex smirked back at her.

It was a few nights after they had agreed to work together. They’d decided to lay low for a couple days to avoid leaving a trail for the cops, then meet up at a safehouse to gather information. So there they were.

It did indeed feel strange, working _with_ Reflex on something.

“So, what are you here for?” Charlie turned back to her screens, setting her hands on the keyboard.

Reflex stepped up to the desk. “Can you bring up kidnappings people have actually seen happening? Sightings, reports? Any solid visual information on the abductors?”

Charlie pursed her lips and typed something in. “It might be hard to get that specific with a search, you know.” She tapped enter, and reports filled the screen. “This is all recent kidnappings. If you want to go through and find what you’re looking for manually, be my guest. I can let you use the computer for a while, I need a break anyway.”

Reflex shrugged. “Sounds good to me. Thanks, Char.”

“Yep. Just let me know if any emergency signals or anything come in.” Charlie stood and strolled away to a neighboring room.

Tanglewood frowned, walking up to the display as Reflex sat in Charlie’s vacated chair. “What _are_ you looking for, exactly?”

Reflex opened the first report. “I already said - visual information. I haven’t seen them in person, so I figured this would be a good place to start. Plus, any info we can get about where the cars went or came from will be nice to have.”

Tanglewood rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to find their base. They’ve got some kind of distortion technology, at the very least.”

“Yeah, the whole blurry faces thing. Whatever. We’ll never find anything if we don’t try.”

Sighing, Tanglewood turned her attention to the screen. The report was from a hero she hadn’t heard of. Apparently, they had seen three black cars with covered plates converge on a house and park outside it, then sit there waiting. They hadn’t waited to see what the cars would do, because they’d caught a glimpse of a raised gun through one’s side window and jumped down to confront them. The cars immediately sped away. The Gifted had chased one through the street for a ways, but lost it.

“Well, that sounds like the same kind of cars. No visual on the people, though.” Tanglewood glanced at Reflex. “I’m not sure what you’re expecting to gain from this.”

“Ah, shut up. I just want more information, is that a crime?” Reflex clicked to the next result. “Ooh, pictures. That’s handy.”

“Pictures?” Tanglewood stared. The report contained a few dark phone pictures of parked cars, identical to the ones she had seen Eva’s stalkers drive away in. Reflex scrolled down, revealing another picture of several suited figures standing inconspicuously beside a bush, looking in the direction of a blue car, which was blurred with movement. It seemed to have been taken from high up. “From a Gifted? Why would they keep a phone on them on patrol? They could be tracked.”

“Says it was someone looking through their apartment window. They saw the cars and noticed the suit guys being sketchy, so they called someone they knew in the underground.”

“Oh,” Tanglewood said, feeling silly. “Hopefully they aren’t in danger.” A thought came to her - a suspicion she had forgotten. “Hold on. Give me that.” She pulled the keyboard away from Reflex.

“Rude.”

“I need to see information on the victims.” She went back to the first result. The address that had been targeted was, thankfully, included in the report. She grabbed a paper and pen from the desk and scribbled it down, then clicked through results, noting down names and addresses of people who had been targeted. She stood and called, “Charlie?”

The technician poked her head back through the doorway. “Hm?”

“Do you think someone could drive us to some safehouses? I want to talk to the victims that are under our protection now.”

Charlie shrugged. “Okay, I’ll get a driver for you.” She ducked back in. A couple minutes later, she reemerged holding a phone. “Meet the car down the block.”

Reflex glanced up at Tanglewood, eyebrows raised. “Mind telling me what you’re thinking?”

Tanglewood frowned. “Maybe later. Depending on what we find. I don’t want to cause a panic over nothing.”

“We’re _supposed_ to be collaborating, Tangle.” Reflex pouted sarcastically.

Tanglewood ignored her.


	8. Chapter 8

Tanglewood climbed out of the car at the first safehouse, followed by Reflex.

“Can you at least tell me what we should be asking these people? I can’t exactly help if-”

“I want to figure out if they’re budding Gifted,” Tanglewood blurted.

Reflex’s eyes widened and her face went grey. “The Agency. You think the Agency is back.”

Tanglewood slumped. “I just have an awful feeling. Maybe I’m just paranoid. But Eva- the girl I saved- I think she’s one, and that’d be one hell of a coincidence. These kidnappers just _happened_ to target a Gifted?” It was a kind of relief, being able to speak her suspicions out loud.

“Are you sure she was? I mean… it’s hard to know, right?” Reflex’s voice shook beneath a forced tone of bravado.

Tanglewood shook her head. “She looked frail, but her grip nearly cut off my circulation. And… I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can sometimes sense other Gifted. Like a kind of aura.” She looked away. “I know that sounds ridiculous.”

Reflex grinned, although she still looked nervous. “So like a gaydar for superheroes.”

“What?” Tanglewood turned red. “No.”

“Uh-huh.” Reflex chuckled. She glanced back towards the car. “Let’s just get on with it. Time’s a-wastin’.”

Tanglewood, blushing angrily, shoved her way in front of Reflex and marched up to the door. There were small security cameras mounted in several locations around the safehouse, but otherwise it looked like an small, ordinary city house. She rang the doorbell and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. It quickly fractured again when Reflex appeared at her side and flashed a peace sign at the camera above the door. Tanglewood gave her a look.

The door opened, revealing a young man of about 19, with unkempt brown hair. His eyes widened as he took in their suits. “Um, hi. Are you guys here to check up on me or something?”

“You could say that. We’d like to ask you a few questions for our investigation into the recent kidnappings, if that’s alright with you.” Tanglewood said, attempting to project calm and confidence - which was difficult with Reflex next to her.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I guess that’s okay.” The guy held the door open and let them in.

They all sat down in the small living room.

“What’s your name, kid?” Reflex asked brightly.

The boy’s brow furrowed. “Richard. And I’m not a kid.”

The smile on Reflex’s face told Tanglewood exactly what she was thinking. “Well, D-”

“Richard, did you see the people who attacked you?” Tanglewood interrupted, shooting Reflex a venomous glare. Reflex stuck her tongue out.

“Not... not clearly,” said Richard, looking between them with a confused expression. “Their faces were all weird and obscured.”

Tanglewood nodded. “Did you hear them say anything?”

“Nothing. They didn’t talk.”

Reflex frowned. “Rich, has anything else strange happened to you recently?”

“... What kind of strange things?”

“Any… abilities you suddenly developed. No matter how benign. Or just odd things consistently happening in your surroundings.” Tanglewood gestured to a small potted plant on the windowsill, pulling it to form a spiral. “Signs of powers.”

Richard’s eyes were wide as he nodded. “I… I hadn’t thought about it being something like that, but… lately, everywhere I go, I see bugs. Following me. I didn’t want to tell anyone, they’d think I’m crazy.” He looked around and pointed at a line of ants creeping towards them from the front doorway. “See- look! They must have come in when I opened the door.” His outstretched hand shook.

Tanglewood stared at the ants. They did appear to be making a beeline (antline?) directly to Richard. “Can you… control them?”

Reflex had fallen silent. She was staring dully at the insects, her face grey again.

“I mean… I hadn’t tried. I didn’t think about it like that.” Richard said, shaken. He looked at the ants, a focused expression on his face. “... Um… stop.” The ants froze in place. His jaw dropped. “Move to the left. Uh, my left.” The ants paused for a moment, then skittered in the indicated direction. He stared at Tanglewood in disbelief.

“Well, congratulations, kid. Looks like you’re a Gifted.” Reflex spoke up, the cheer gone from her voice. She glanced over at Tanglewood. A dark look passed between them.

Tanglewood stood. “That’s all we needed to know. We’ll let our people know about your powers, if you’d like. They can help you to learn more about them and practice.”

Richard nodded, still staring at the ants in awe. “I… Yeah. Thank you.”

Tanglewood patted him on the shoulder as she headed back towards the door. She stepped cautiously over the bugs and left with Reflex, locking the door behind them. Several other bugs that had been crowding around the door scattered as they stepped onto the walkway. Tanglewood slumped.

“It could still be a coincidence,” Reflex said, although she didn't sound as if she believed her own words.

“We should still talk to the others.” Tanglewood took a deep breath, straightening her spine. _I was expecting this. This is just proof of what I already suspected. I can handle it. It shouldn’t be a shock._ “See if they know anything.”

“Yeah.” Reflex pulled on her own cape unconsciously. Tanglewood looked at her. She seemed deeply troubled by the idea of the Agency returning. Compared to her usual air of confidence, she looked so vulnerable.

Tanglewood shook herself and walked back to the car. “Let’s go."


	9. Chapter 9

They stopped by two more safehouses. Each one contained a teenage to young adult Gifted who hadn’t yet fully realized their powers. Tanglewood felt sick. She slammed the car door behind her as she climbed into the backseat. Reflex entered on the other side. She was attempting bravado again, but her eyes were dark.

“Okay. So it’s probably the Agency coming back, or someone trying to do the same thing they did. We can still deal with them. If we just get enough Gifted together, we can take them down.” Her voice shook.

The Agency for the Capture and Study of Supernaturally Powered Individuals. 856 Gifted captured in the 5 years they were active. 439 of those dead. Tanglewood’s hands curled into fists.

“They’re targeting young ones this time. Teenagers who don’t even know that they have powers yet. _Defenseless kids._ ” Tanglewood spat, slamming a fist into the car door. The window rattled.

Reflex wrapped her arms around herself like she was going to be sick. “It’s disgusting. I know.” She stared miserably at the back of the driver’s seat. “We have to try. We have to try to stop them.”

Tanglewood fell silent. _But how?_ she thought. _They’ve likely learned from last time. They’ll be extremely cautious about their home base. And are there even enough of us to do anything against them? Who knows how many supporters they’ve gathered in the last… what, 12 years?_

“You’re right.” she finally said. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll take them down.”

Reflex let out a long breath and straightened her back. “It’s getting to morning. We should close up shop soon.”

Tanglewood nodded. “I’d like to make one more stop first.”

Several minutes later, the car pulled up to one last safehouse. Tanglewood told the driver to head out - they could make their own ways back to their homes.

“So this is the girl you helped last week?” Reflex asked as they walked up to the door.

“Her and her roommate.”

They knocked. It took a minute, but the door opened, and Carleigh poked her head out, looking a bit groggy.

“Oh, it’s you! Hi!” She gasped, opening the door wider. “Come on in, I’ll wake up Eva.”

“Thank you.” Tanglewood smiled (with some effort) and entered. She and Reflex took seats at the kitchen table while Carleigh hurried to the back of the house.

The microwave clock read 3 am. Despite herself, Tanglewood yawned. Reflex patted her on the shoulder. She swatted the hand away.

Carleigh reemerged from the hallway, followed by Eva. Eva’s long brown hair stuck up a bit on one side.

“Hello again,” she said, with a smile at Tanglewood. She glanced at Reflex. “Um, who’s this?”

“Reflex. I’m a superhero like Tangle here, except way cooler.” Reflex said with a wave.

Tanglewood rolled her eyes. “She’s helping me investigate these kidnappers.”

“Oh,” Eva said. “Hi, Reflex.”

“What can we do for you guys?” Carleigh piped up, linking her arm through Eva’s. 

“Well… we’re partially just here to check in on you. But also, we thought you might want to know something.” Tanglewood looked at Eva. “You, Eva, might have powers. Like us.”

Eva looked stunned. Carleigh’s jaw dropped.

“Seriously? Like… superpowers?” Carleigh whispered, squeezing Eva’s hand.

Tanglewood dipped her head.

“I… what… what kind of powers?” Eva said hoarsely.

“We don’t know. Only you can find that out for sure. It could be anything. All we know is…” Tanglewood trailed off. She didn’t want to frighten them. She glanced over at Reflex, who mouthed, _She deserves to know._ “All we know is that the kidnappers are most likely targeting Gifted- that’s people with powers- who are only just developing their powers. Most don’t even know about them yet.”

The awe in Eva’s eyes dimmed slightly at this. She unconsciously leaned into Carleigh. “That’s…”

“Not great, yeah. But you’re under the protection of the Gifted network. You’ll be okay. This house is guarded and secured.” Reflex assured.

“Do you have any idea what powers you might have? Has anything strange been happening consistently around you?” Tanglewood said.

Eva shook her head, mystified. “I don’t… I can’t think of anything.”

Tanglewood nodded understandingly. “Just think on it. Sometimes they’re more subtle, or harder to use. There aren’t always clear signs.” She stood. “We should get going. Apologies for waking you two up. Stay safe.”

“Oh- okay. Thank you.” Eva bit her lip as they departed.

“They’re cute.” Reflex said as the door closed behind them.

“And they’re still in danger. Them and all the others.” Tanglewood sighed.

“You’re such a downer.”

Tanglewood shot Reflex a glare. “I can’t tell if you’re taking this seriously or not.” She regretted the words immediately. She'd touched a nerve.

“Of course I am! I’m not an idiot!” Reflex snapped angrily, her confident facade shattering. “I’m just… trying to lighten the mood, I guess. This is… it’s a lot to deal with, and...” She ran a hand through her swept-back hair, beginning to pace. “Look. I… I…”

“It’s… it’s okay. I'm sorry, I know… I know you’re afraid- and I’m not criticizing you for that, god knows I’m terrified.”

Reflex stood staring at her for a moment, trembling. “I lost my dad,” she finally blurted, as if unable to hold the words back anymore. “He was a Gifted too, and- and they took him. He…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I was 13. The Agency took him, and I never saw him again. I didn’t know what had happened until the police released the names of everyone who…”

Tanglewood froze. “I’m… I’m sorry."

Reflex shook her head, wiping her eyes hurriedly through the eyeholes of her mask. “I don’t know why I told you that. Forget it. It’s not a big deal.”

Tanglewood fidgeted guiltily. “I shouldn’t have been an asshole. I know you’re taking this seriously. I’m just stressed. I know you are too. It’s fine.”

Reflex shrugged, looking away with a reluctant grin. “You kind of are an asshole, huh?”

Tanglewood snorted. “If I am, what does that make you?”

“A sexy, talented beast.” Reflex laughed, her voice still a bit shaky. She turned away. “... Thanks, Aspen.” She clambered up the side of a building in the blink of an eye, and was gone in moments.


	10. Chapter 10

Aspen reluctantly dragged herself out of bed 3 hours later. She was barely able to get herself to move. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders. She wasn’t surprised that Diane didn’t show up at the cafe. She was probably feeling even worse than Aspen was. Aspen shook herself. She shouldn’t dwell on last night. She did still have a job to do.

Unfortunately, the cafe was quiet that day, giving her plenty of time to do that dwelling. The quiet chatter from the few occupied tables sounded like leaves rustling in a breeze. Her legs feeling weak, Aspen pulled a tall chair from the back and sat behind the register. She glanced out of the front windows, watching people walk past. It wasn’t as busy out as usual. Maybe it was the cold… Or maybe news of the kidnappings had spread. Maybe people were afraid to go out. After all, nobody knew that it was apparently only Gifted being targeted. It would be hard to tell from the victims, for anyone who didn’t have experience with budding powers. Of course, there was an unlikely chance the police _had_ figured it out, but not released the information. Telling the public would keep panic down, maybe, but at the price of presenting Gifted as victims. The last thing the police wanted was to create sympathy for them.

Aspen dug her fingernails into the knees of her jeans, resenting her own paranoia. She wanted to let her mind rest, she didn’t _want_ to think about this, she wanted a _break._ But she had a responsibility to the city. To her fellow Gifted. To the innocents being threatened. She calmed herself, taking a deep breath.

She hated sitting here doing nothing. It was ridiculous, she knew - it wasn’t as if there was much she could safely accomplish in broad daylight - but she hated it. A customer approached the door. She stood, pushing her chair away along with her roiling thoughts, and plastered a friendly smile back onto her face.

After what seemed like an eternity, Aspen arrived back at her apartment. She looked dully at her bed. She was exhausted, but acutely restless. After a moment of hesitation, she gave in to sleep, collapsing onto the sheets and drifting off within minutes.

Aspen snapped back awake at the sound of her alarm. She didn’t remember having any dreams, but the blankets were tangled around her as if she’d been tossing and turning. She disengaged herself from the cocoon. The sun was sinking towards the horizon, barely peeking through the jungle of tall buildings.

She ate a quick dinner, then suited up and slipped out of the fire escape several hours earlier than she usually would have. She couldn’t sit around waiting. She needed to start planning, to gather information, just to _do_ something. She started off through the city.

Tanglewood had spent her first couple of years as a Gifted frequently researching the history of people like her, using the underground’s databases. The ACSSPI catastrophe was considered a genocide. There were only a few thousand Gifted in the city, and so many of them had been killed, injured, crippled, scarred, broken. The few that had been captured and lived to tell the tale were arrested for daring to manifest powers they didn’t choose to have. For being a “danger to the public welfare”, as if they were as bad or worse than the agency that had just massacred five hundred of them.

The Gifted underground had taken Tanglewood in when she needed support. She had met so many kind, wonderful people there who had lost loved ones, lost friends, been taken themselves and seen the atrocities in person, been tortured, prodded, and dissected. The thought of the Agency and what they had done made her blood boil.

Again her mind drifted to Reflex. To Diane. If this was personal for Tanglewood, it would be even more so for her.

 _She wouldn’t want pity,_ Tanglewood reminded herself. _Especially not from me._

It was then that she realized she had come upon the cafe. And there, sitting on the parapet, was Reflex.

 _Speak of the devil._ Tanglewood sighed internally as she lifted herself up on a single branch from a nearby tree. She hopped down onto the roof.

“Ah, good. I was hoping you’d come here, we didn’t really arrange a place to meet.” Reflex said as she hopped to her feet, sounding as chipper as ever. Tanglewood studied her suspiciously. Her face betrayed no sign of worry or fear.

“Yeah.” Tanglewood finally said. “Here probably isn’t the best place, considering we could be seen and associated with it. But for now, it’s fine.”

“So cautious.”

“I’d say this job requires a _little_ caution.” Tanglewood grumbled.

Reflex smiled. “Well, maybe. It’s just adorable sometimes how careful you are.” Before Tanglewood could register this, Reflex continued. “Anyway, I have a plan for our next step. We need to try and follow one of the cars, right? To figure out where they’re going?”

“Um. I- Yes, I suppose. I’ve tried to watch for cars to follow, though, and I couldn’t find any.”

“Exactly. They’re good at sneaking around somehow. But I know someone who can help us find them.” With that, Reflex vaulted over the parapet, kicked powerfully off the wall, and landed on the next roof, gesturing casually for Tanglewood to follow as she took off at a brisk walk. Tanglewood glared after her a minute before following. It seemed she was back to her usual infuriating attitude.


	11. Chapter 11

Reflex led Tanglewood through the city for almost 10 minutes before finally coming to a halt.

“Here we are,” she declared, kneeling in front of a chimney pipe.

Tanglewood frowned, glancing around. The building looked like any other shop in the area. She wasn’t sure what they were there for.

Reflex tapped out a rhythm on the side of the pipe. Tanglewood squinted at it as what appeared to be a fingerprint scanner emerged. Was this a base for the underground? She’d never seen it before. As she watched, Reflex pulled off her own glove and pressed her thumb to the scanner. Moments later, a panel on the roof slid open. Reflex waved Tanglewood over and hopped down through the hole, and with some hesitation, Tanglewood followed.

After falling for longer than Tanglewood had expected, they landed in a dim room, on what appeared to be a padded welcome mat. Tanglewood looked at it suspiciously.

“This is my friend’s shop. She specializes in finding things.” Reflex stepped forward. “Hey, Seath! It’s Reflex!”

A light flicked on ahead of them. The space, now that it was visible, appeared to be a small storage room. A figure approached, a woman wearing a mask resembling a stylized wolf’s face, which was oddly juxtaposed with her casual clothes.

“Good to see you again,” she said, her voice rough. “Who’s this?”

The wolf mask was a bit distracting. “Um. I’m Tanglewood.”

The woman cocked her head and turned back to Reflex. “And why are you ladies here?”

“Well, I was hoping you could help us out with something. We’re looking for these kidnappers…”

As Reflex explained the basics of the situation (leaving out their suspicions about the Agency), Tanglewood inspected Seath. She seemed to be an older woman, with weathered hands and short, greying hair. Tanglewood had never heard of her; she was likely independent from the underground.

“Yeah, I’ve heard about those kidnappings. I suppose I can help you find what you’re looking for. No charge, since I owe you. But I’ll need the specific image. One of you’s seen one of these cars in person, right?”

Reflex pointed a thumb over her shoulder at Tanglewood.

“Good. Come up here, will you?”

Tanglewood stepped forward hesitantly. “What do you need?”

Seath’s eyes, the only visible part of her face, crinkled in a smile. “I track things through memories. My own, or others’. Don’t worry,” she added quickly as Tanglewood took a step away. “I can’t just freely read your mind. Just focus on the thing you want me to track for you, and give me your hand.”

Nervously, Tanglewood offered her hand. Seath clasped it lightly in a handshake stance. Tanglewood attempted to concentrate on the image of the black cars she had seen outside Eva’s apartment. The capped plates, the dark windows. Sleek, but generic enough to blend in with regular cars. The vehicles of kidnappers.

“Got it,” Seath said abruptly, releasing Tanglewood, staring into the distance as if she could see through the walls. “I’m getting a couple sources. Were you expecting multiple cars?”

“Yes,” Tanglewood said, slightly unsettled by Seath’s distant gaze. “We aren’t sure how many there are. I would also assume that some are cloaked.”

Seath nodded. “There’s a sort of itch - more I can sense the existence of, but not the location. I can’t tell how many. There’s four moving around that I can track.”

“Can you take us to the closest one?” Reflex piped up, sounding excited.

“I suppose,” Seath sighed. “Just for you, though. Normally I’d charge a pretty penny for this.” She waved them over to the door she had apparently entered through. Behind it were stairs leading upward. “I’ve got a back exit up on the ground floor. Follow me.”

She brought them through a few darkened rooms before coming to a halt. She tugged a sort of hidden lever on a shadowed bookshelf. A dull clunk sounded, and a section of the wall seemed to shift downwards. With a grunt, Seath pushed at the wall, and it swung outwards, revealing a way out into a back alley.

“Closest one’s to the northeast. Moving south. We should be able to catch up to it without too much difficulty.”

“Great. Thanks for this, Seath.” Reflex smiled, clambering through the wall. Seath followed.

Tanglewood felt a bit uncomfortable trusting a complete stranger not to lead them astray, but she didn’t have any other plan. As she followed her fellows into the alley, she wondered absently what Seath owed Reflex for.


	12. Chapter 12

One speedy trek through the city later, the three Gifted were peering cautiously down from the top of an apartment complex into a back street lined with a couple parked cars.

“It’s here, I know it is. It stopped moving just a couple minutes ago.” Seath grumbled, squinting down at the vehicles. None of them resembled what they were looking for.

Tanglewood frowned, noticing a slight flicker in the air next to an empty stretch of sidewalk. “Let’s check at ground level.” She carefully made her way down the alley side of the building, followed by the others. Craning her neck around the corner, she saw a car in the space that had seemed unoccupied moments before.

“The hell?” Reflex muttered. “Guess they have it obscured from above or something.”

“So they can get through traffic without getting rammed, but anyone watching from above won’t be able to see…” Tanglewood sighed. “Damn. Explains why I saw them the first time and then wasn’t able to find them in the streets.” A simple but effective way to hide from the view of Gifted, who rarely patrolled at street level for fear of being seen.

Seath’s eyes narrowed. “Wonder what kind of tech that is.”

“I can’t tell if there’s anyone in it.” Reflex said, squinting. “Why are they parked here?”

“Apartments,” grunted Seath. “If these are kidnappers, they’re probably waiting for someone to come home so they can ambush them.”

“That _is_ what they did to Eva…” Tanglewood said, half to herself. “We have to stop them. If we attack now-”

Reflex grabbed her wrist. “No! If we attack them we’ll get nowhere. We’ll have tracked them for nothing. They’ll drive off at top speed and leave us in the dust.”

“But- we have to protect whoever they’re after.”

“I know that. But we have to do it a different way.”

Seath snapped her fingers a couple times for attention and they glanced back at her. “We can spread out, watch for anyone coming this way. More than likely they’ll be on foot or bike, seems people ‘round here mostly park somewhere else. Keep them from turning onto this street at all. That car won’t wait there all night.” 

“You’re right. They’ll probably be heading back to their base before morning comes so they won’t be seen. We can tail them once we get the target to safety.” Tanglewood agreed, relaxing her shoulders and casting one more resentful glance at the car.

“Sounds like a plan.” Reflex said. “How many entrances are there to this block?”

Tanglewood glanced up and down the street. “Looks like three. Convenient. I’ll take the far end.” She pointed at Reflex. “You take the other side. Seath, if you’d watch the middle?”

“Okay, Your Majesty,” Reflex said, with a sarcastic curtsy, and Seath snorted, but they headed back up the buildings in their assigned directions. Tanglewood rolled her eyes. She climbed the gutter pipe - trees moving might be seen - then made her way silently across the rooftops to the farther end of the street.

It was a tense twenty minutes before Tanglewood saw, out of the corner of her eye, Reflex waving her arms in the air furiously at the other end of the street. _She must see someone,_ Tanglewood realized, and took off towards her at a dash. She watched as Reflex jumped down off the far side of the building. _Don’t fuck this up, Reflex._

As soon as she reached the end of the block, she heard hushed tones. She descended cautiously to street level, and saw Reflex explaining something to a confused woman. Seath was standing off to the side. Tanglewood approached her.

“Do we think this is who they’re after?” she whispered to the masked woman.

“Seems to be. She lives in those apartments, at least.”

The woman Reflex was speaking to cast a nervous glance at the two other Gifted. “A-and you’re all… superheroes? I mean- you have to understand this all sounds a bit sketchy.”

“Yeah, we are. And I get that. But please, trust us. You could be in danger. Look for yourself.” Reflex gestured around the corner. “There’s a black car parked in front of those apartments. The same kind of car that's been seen at other attempted kidnappings. Haven’t you heard about all the missing people lately?”

The woman peered around the corner. “I… I have.”

“We don’t know for sure that you’re their target, but you’re in danger either way. Is there somewhere else you can stay tonight? Just in case.”

“I mean, I have a friend who lives a bit away. I could call her and ask to stay over.”

“Good. Head a bit away from here and then call.”

“I can go with. Just to protect you.” Seath spoke up, stepping forward. “If you’d want an escort.”

The woman fidgeted uncomfortably, but glanced back at the car in front of her apartment and sighed. “Okay. I admit this is kind of freaking me out. I’d rather not take the chance of you guys being wrong. And an escort would be good. Thanks.”

Reflex let out a relieved breath. “Thank you for listening.”

Seath nodded to them as she led the woman away. “Good luck. I’m heading back home once I drop her off.”

Reflex turned to Tanglewood. “I guess we should keep up the lookout in case anyone else comes?”

“Suppose so. We also need to make a plan, though. What exactly are we going to do once the car starts moving?”

“Right… Well, it’d probably be hard to follow them if we move across the rooftops. So I guess we go to the ground.”

“And chase them on foot? We’re fast, but they’re in a _car_. We couldn’t keep up for long unless they went very slow. Not to mention it’s not the most discreet.”

“Well, I don’t see you offering any solutions.”

“I’m _thinking._ ”

Reflex visibly held back a taunt. “Okay. I mean, we could hijack a car?” Tanglewood gave her a look. “Kidding.”

The gears turned in Tanglewood’s mind. How could they discreetly but quickly follow the car? They really should have thought ahead. “I don’t… wait!” She pointed at the back of her glove. “The underground. They have vehicles. I think there’s storage for some at a base close to here. I just don’t remember exactly where it is.”

“Why do you need to know where it is? Can’t we just send a signal?”

“A car would be too loud. And there’s no way to tell them to be discreet. We don’t want them to be seen by the kidnappers. I’m sure they’ll have something that would work, but we would need to get it ourselves. And fast. There’s no telling when that car’ll leave.”

“Right. Um. Wait, I think…” Reflex glanced at the street sign. “Yes! I’ve been to a base around here before. It’s… yeah, I know where it is now.” She pointed to the east. “Two blocks down. The entrance is next to a parking garage. A grate in the ground.”

“Got it. You stay here and keep a lookout. I’ll go.”

Reflex frowned. “Okay, but I won’t be happy about it.”


	13. Chapter 13

Tanglewood found the grate fairly fast. She opened it and slipped through, hoping Reflex was right about the location and that she wasn’t about to plummet into sewer water. Thankfully, her feet hit solid ground.

The small space she found herself in seemed empty, but she remembered now what to look for. She quickly found a chip in the stone at her feet that was the perfect size for a finger to rest in. She yanked off her glove and pressed her thumb into the gap. It warmed and buzzed slightly beneath her finger, scanning the print. A quiet beep sounded and the wall in front of her lifted, revealing a sloping tunnel down into the base.

It had a similar layout to the one she usually visited, with a large spread of computer displays on one wall and tunnels branching out from the sides, but it was practically bustling in comparison. As a transportation hub, it must require more staff. They were one of the centers responsible for sending transport cars out in response to signals from Gifted, along with various other tasks. The widest tunnel lead in what she recognized as the direction of the parking garage - they likely stored their vehicles beneath it so they could leave through it without looking too suspicious.

“Tanglewood? It’s been a while.” The young man sitting in front of the computer waved at her as she entered.

“Yes, it has. I’m afraid I don’t have time to catch up, though.”

“Figures,” he laughed. “What do you need, then?”

“Something fast and stealthy. Able to hold two people.”

“Oh, we have some electric motorcycles, actually. They move almost silently.”

“Perfect. Although, uh- you don’t have a sidecar or something, do you?”

“... No. The motorcycle seats two, though… like most motorcycles?”

Tanglewood grimaced. She didn’t have much of a choice. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

“Head on through. I’ll forward your request and they’ll just have you sign a couple things real quick.”

Tanglewood complied. She’d prefer to just take it and go, she didn’t know how much time she had, but the paperwork was the only way the underground could lend out vehicles temporarily without charging. It was crafted entirely legally, but exempted any information about Gifted or the underground. Technically, this was a small company. That way, the underground had the legal right to reimbursement if a vehicle was lost, stolen, or destroyed. Usually, the vehicles were only in use for a night or two, but they would start charging for extended rentals.

She signed the forms, and soon, she was led through the storehouse (filled with a fair number of cars, trucks, bikes, and other forms of transport) to a black motorcycle that had been pulled up to what looked like an exit tunnel.

“All yours.” said a worker, stepping away from it. “Are you leaving right away?”

“Yes,” Tanglewood said, mounting the motorbike. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the worker replied, pulling a switch. A clunk sounded above- the floor of the parking garage moving aside to allow her to exit.

She gave a nod to the worker, then started up the bike and cruised up through the tunnel. The bike moved smoothly, and indeed, silently. She’d ridden motorcycles several times before; they were a good way to get around quickly. She navigated her way out of the parking garage, then sped up and raced back to the place she had left Reflex. As she drove, she quickly tapped her arm and watched the black of the handlebars bleed up her white sleeves. She was grateful for the camouflage. Her white suit practically glowed against the dark of the night.

Tanglewood came to a halt a ways before the corner, parking and dismounting the bike. She climbed up the side of a building, and saw Reflex just a short way away. Hurrying over, she whispered, “I’m back.”

Reflex glanced back at her. “That you are. Find something?”

“Yes. Has anything happened?”

Reflex shook her head. “Nobody’s come this way. I’ve dropped down to check on the car a couple times too; it hasn’t moved. What did you find?”

Tanglewood hesitated. “It’s… a motorcycle.”

A grin spread across Reflex’s face. An evil grin. “ _A_ motorcycle, you say?”

Tanglewood felt an angry blush rising in her cheeks. “Well, I couldn’t exactly bring two motorcycles back here at once. If you’re going to be ridiculous I’ll just go back and get another one.”

Reflex almost laughed aloud, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, no, it’s fine. It’ll be cozy.”

Tanglewood stared in the other direction, pulling her scarf up to hide her flaming cheeks. “Shut up.”

Reflex snickered. “Okay, okay. Are we keeping up the lookout or should we wait on the ground so we can keep eyes on the car?”

“I think it’s safe to say there’s probably nobody else coming. It must be around, what, 3 am?”

“Something like that,” Reflex agreed. “Car watch it is.”


	14. Chapter 14

Once they reached the ground, Tanglewood took a quick glance around the corner. The black car sat in the same place as before, its dark windows reflecting the streetlights.

Reflex quickly found the motorcycle. “Oh my god. This is the coolest shit.” She gripped one of the handlebars experimentally. “Are you driving, or am I?”

Tanglewood didn’t want Reflex behind her, but she _really_ didn’t want to have to hang on to Reflex’s waist. Reflex would never let her live it down. “I’ll drive.” She pulled her scarf-cape off over her head - it would get in the way. The bike had a small luggage box on the tail, and she stuffed the cape into it. As she removed it, the suit’s camouflage lost its effect on the cape, and it drained back to a white-gold gradient.

Reflex grinned at her. “Have I mentioned you look good in black?”

Tanglewood reddened. “The white would stick out too much in the dark. I had camouflage added to my suit for a reason.”

“I’m not making fun of you! Take the compliment, Tangle.”

Tanglewood growled under her breath and grabbed the helmet, then swung a long leg over the bike. “We should be ready to take off as soon as they start moving.”

“Seriously, like a hot action movie protagonist.” Reflex muttered appreciatively as she climbed onto the bike behind Tanglewood. “Do I get a badass helmet?”

“They only gave me one. You can deal. Don’t fall off.” She pulled it over her head. She edged the bike forward, just enough to be able to see around the corner. And they waited.

The night was still and the air tense. Tanglewood stared down the street at the car. It was parked facing away from them. She swore she could see faint silhouettes through the rear window, but it was too far away to be clear. Reflex fidgeted behind her, impatient. An hour passed with no movement. Her stomach growled and she longed to sleep, but she pushed her weariness to the back of her mind. They couldn’t back out now. Finally, after what seemed like eons, the car’s headlights kicked on. Tanglewood flinched at the sudden light, then a wave of adrenaline rushed through her. She started up the motorcycle.

“Hang on.”

The car started to move, slowly at first, but quickly accelerated. As it began to turn the corner, Tanglewood kicked off the ground and sped after it. She felt Reflex’s arms wrap around her midriff as they shot down the block.

The tight back streets whizzed past them. Tanglewood kept pace with the car, staying as far back as she could without losing sight of it. It moved unusually fast - careening haphazardly around turns which the bike made much more smoothly. The muffled roar of the wind beating on her helmet filled her ears. She could feel Reflex’s head pressed against her back, braced against the fierce, slicing air. Her arms, only covered by her relatively thin sleeves and gloves, were slowly losing feeling. The only part of her that was still warm was her waist, where Reflex held on to her. She tightened her grip on the handlebars. The cold was nothing. She had to focus.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest. Frenzied thoughts and feelings ran through her head, as if sweeping through on the wind and being left behind them. A strange relief at finally taking some real action. Raw terror at the thought of being seen by the kidnappers. They could be attacked - they were strong, but couldn’t do much on their own against a car full of people with guns. Whatever higher authority was behind the kidnappings might be alerted to their cars being followed by Gifted and go on higher guard, and they would never get another chance to find the base. What if they’d already _been_ seen? Why was the car moving so fast?

It seemed like both mere moments and long years before the car slowed. Tanglewood followed suit, falling further behind. They had, at some point, found their way into the city outskirts, where the streets were wider, the buildings farther apart, the paths more sprawling. Tanglewood knew this area. She patrolled near it every so often.

The car took a series of odd turns that seemed unnecessary - weaving through several side streets and reemerging onto the same main road they’d been on before. They turned down another side street, this time following it for a ways. The buildings grew taller again as they went back towards the city proper. Then the car stopped. Tanglewood hit the brakes, sliding to a halt far behind it. Her heart pounded. Had they been caught? She heard Reflex’s shallow breaths behind her.

Taking in their surroundings, Tanglewood realized they were in a sort of warehouse district. Storage units and large garages were scattered along the streets. It was deserted aside from them and the car.

A click sounded and the passenger door of the car opened. A suited man climbed out, face still strangely imperceptible. Tanglewood held her breath. To her immense relief, the man just walked around the car and knelt in front of one of the garage-like doors of a storage unit complex. They hadn’t been spotted. After a moment, the man stood, and pulled the garage door up and open. Tanglewood craned her neck. She could just barely see into it. There seemed to be a second door. The man held out something in his hand - a small card. A faint red light illuminated it for a moment, then there was a creak as the second door raised on its own. The man made his way back into the car. It backed up, then drove straight into the storage unit. The slight glow of the tail lights seemed to angle upwards as the car vanished from sight. After only a moment, there were two _thunk_ s as both doors closed.

Tanglewood stared blankly at the locker.

“Shit,” Reflex grumbled behind her. “Now what? We can’t get in there.”

Dismounting the bike and pulling off her helmet, Tanglewood cautiously walked a bit closer to the door. She noticed a small security camera mounted above it and shrank back against a wall.

“No, we can’t. Not right now, at least. But we know where this is now.” Tanglewood glanced around as she moved back to the bike. “We have a potential way in.”

Reflex frowned thoughtfully. “... Should we tell the underground about this?”

Tanglewood stopped walking, her mind racing. That was a good point. Now that they actually had some tangible information, it was probably time to start sharing what they knew. After all, what right did they have to withhold it? And yet, she worried about what other Gifted might attempt. “... I think… we don’t know enough yet. We need… some kind of surveillance of what we’re actually up against. If we make the information public, people could try and get in alone, and be captured. We need a more solid plan first. That way, when we tell the underground, we call for anyone who wants to take action to meet up, and we can have an organized assault. But we’ll have to move fast.”

“That sounds like a solid plan for now.” Reflex said. “I do feel kind of iffy about keeping this from people, so like… let’s fuckin’ get that surveillance soon.”

“Yeah. It’s too late tonight, though. It’s probably getting close to sunrise. Not to mention I’m too tired to plan an infiltration right now.”

“I feel that. We should head out.” Reflex stretched, lacing her fingers together and reaching her arms back over her head. “Tomorrow- or, today, I guess- is Saturday, right? We should meet up later and figure out where to go from here.”

Tanglewood nodded. “Okay. But no earlier than noon. Where are we meeting?”

Reflex considered for a moment. “How about Vaughan Plaza? At around 2 pm.”

“Alright. I’ll see you then, I suppose.”

“It’s a date.” Reflex gave a nod and a small wave, then started off towards the city proper. Tanglewood stared blankly after her for a minute, then pulled the motorcycle helmet back on, climbed onto the bike, and started on her way to return it to the base.


End file.
